This wikiHow teaches you how to find the serial number for your PC desktop or laptop using the Windows command prompt. You can get powershell equivalent code from my blog (Sitaram's Blog: PowerShell: Query a windows machine Serial Number Remotely) Happy Learning., Sitaram Pamarthi Reply With Quote. 20th November 2009, 01:34 #2. Microsoft MVP Join Date Aug 2008 Location New Brunswick, Canada.
For whatever reason, you might need to use your computer’s serial number. That is not something you are generally expected to keep in your head, so you will have to check on your computer. Often it is written on a sticker located on the underside of the computer or within the battery compartment, but sometimes the writings are not legible; especially if it is an old computer.
If that’s you right now, scratching your head thinking of how to find your computer serial number. Worry not! You don’t have to go looking for your box and user manuals that came with your computer. It would be a great inconvenience if you are traveling or away from home.
#1 – Find your Computer Serial Number under the Command Prompt
Press Windows Key/Start Key + R, type in ‘cmd’ and then hit enter. The Command Prompt (CMD) Window will pop up. Type in the following command ‘wmic bios get serialnumber’ and hit enter.
You should have your serial number displayed. If you don’t see the serial number and instead something like ‘0’ or ‘To be filled by O.E.M’, it will mean your device’s manufacturer was too lazy to fill in the serial number in the computer’s BIOS or the UEFI firmware. OEMs sometimes tend to do that; it may be an oversight due to the many devices in the assembly line they are trying to get ready for sale.
#2 – Find your Serial Number from the BIOS
Please note if you were unable to find your serial number in the trick #1 above, this trick will not work, as the OEM failed to input it on the BIOS or the UEFI firmware. Sometimes it is not always the OEM to blame, if you had assembled the computer yourself, the serial number will also not be in the BIOS or UEFI firmware.
That said this second trick is useful for those occasions when you can access your Windows user account but need the computer’s serial number. When booting up your computer, go to the BIOS or UEFI firmware settings, and look for the serial number on the system information screen. Different PCs will have this information in different places, but often it is either under the ‘Main’ or ‘System’ screen.
#3 – Check on the Box, Hardware, or other components that came with your PC
I don’t suppose you move around with your PC complete with the box and other parts that it was shipped with. Chances are high this are the things you leave in your home or office store, along with other boxes.
If you happen to need the serial number while near the location where you keep the boxes and other components that shipped with your PC. They can help you easily retrieve the serial number.
The box that your PC was packaged in must have the serial number of the machine. If the machine in question is a desktop PC, check the back, top, or sides for stickers. The sticker with the serial number may also be inside the PC’s casing, meaning you might need to open it up.
#4 – Worst Case Scenario; you can locate the serial number using all the above options
Go online for instructions on how to find the serial number for the specific model of computer you are using. Your first stop should be the manufacturer’s site; they should have instructions on how you can find it.
If you had registered your PC with the manufacturer or you do get warranty services. The PC’s serial number should be in the warranty’s registration documents, email confirmation of the service, or the warranty service receipt.
Image Credit: How to Geek
You can’t do without the serial number while you install, reinstall, or activate Adobe Acrobat (9/X/XI Pro) or other versions of Acrobat. If you are planning on reinstalling or transferring Adobe Acrobat to a new computer but can’t find the serial number, this could be quite troublesome. But take it easy. As long as Adobe Acrobat has been installed on your computer, the serial number has been stored in your Windows Registry. You have some options to find serial number for Adobe Acrobat on your computer.
Option 1: Find serial number for Adobe Acrobat with product key finder
It should be the easiest and quickest way to use a specialised product key finder program.
Step 1: Download, install, and then launch the iSumsoft Product Key Finder program on your computer on which Adobe Acrobat has been installed.
Step 2: Click on the Start Recovery button near the lower left corner.
Step 3: It will quickly find all the product keys or serial numbers for all software product including Adobe Acrobat on your computer and shows them in the list.
Step 4: Click on the Save button or the Save to File button to save the serial numbers into a Notepad. Then you can open the Notepad to view the serial number when Adobe Acrobat asks for a serial number.
Option 2: Find Adobe Acrobat serial number in Windows Registry
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that serial number has been stored in system Registry as long as the genuine Adobe Acrobat has been installed. So you can manually open Windows Registry to find the serial number.
Step 1: Press Win + R to open Run dialog, type regedit, and click OK.
Step 2: Confirm the User Account Control if prompted.
Step 3: The Registry Editor opens. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Adobe -> Adobe Acrobat -> 9.0 -> Registration. There in the right pane you can find the serial number.
Tips: If your Windows version is 64-bit, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Wow6432Node -> Adobe -> Adobe Acrobat -> 9.0 -> Registration.
Step 4: But the serial number you can see is a series of encrypted number instead of the real serial number you can use to install Adobe Acrobat. You have to use a product key generator to decrypt the serial number.
Option 3: Ask your Adobe Acrobat provider for the serial number
You can ask the provider from whom you got or bought Adobe Acrobat for the serial number. If you bought it on the Internet, you may be able to find the serial number in your email box.
Related Articles
Windows 10 Serial Number Location
- How to Find VMware Workstation License Key
- How to Find Adobe CS6 Serial Number in Registry
- How to Find Product Key for Microsoft Office 2013
- How to Find Lost Windows Product Key without Software
- How to Find Product Key for SQL Server 2008 R2